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Sunday, April 7, 2013

Tomato Basil Chicken

No need to grab that jar of pre-made pasta sauce! This light and fresh sauce comes together in MINUTES from ingredients that you probably have right this minute! Do it the authentic Italian way - make it fresh!

I've always been told that the key to great Italian food is fresh ingredients, made simply. Now if you've ever labored over a big casserole of lasagna, you may be scratching your head on that one.... but that's another story! LOL! This Tomato Basil Chicken will have you grabbing your fork at the 30 minute mark, which is great news when you need to have a nice, hot meal on the table quickly.

Cooks note: The granules of kosher salt are larger than "table salt," which makes it harder to over salt your food. The freshly cracked black pepper tastes much "fresher" than the stuff in the can.If you want the chicken to cook a little faster, consider pounding them out just a little so they are more of a uniform thickness.

Add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to your skillet. This may seem like quite a bit, but it will form the base for the sauce.

2 Tbsp EVOO

While waiting for the oil to heat up, go ahead and get your water going for the pasta. If you don't do it early, you'll have to sit and wait on the pasta to be done at the end.

water for pasta

When the oil is HOT, add the chicken breasts. If the oil does not start sizzling immediately, then its not hot enough! Adding meat to cold/cool oil will give you greasy meat!! I think next time I make this dish, I will add some dried basil or Italian seasoning to my salt and pepper on the chicken.

After about 4-5 minutes, the chicken breasts should be ready to turn. By the way, when did chicken breasts get SO HUGE?! You'll want to cook them on the second side another 4-5 minutes,or until the juices run clear when you pierce them with a small sharp knife. You don't want to OVER cook them, or they will be dry and tough. If you pounded yours out thinner, they will cook faster than this.

After the second side has been cooking for about 4 minutes, go ahead and add in the fresh tomatoes that you have chopped up. There will be lots of steam, spitting, and sputtering!

2 cups chopped tomatoes

Next, add the fresh basil that you have chopped into ribbons.

1/2 cup basil ribbons

Next, add in the cold butter. This will make the sauce silky.

4 Tbsp cold butter

Then the minced garlic.

2 tsp minced garlic

You will probably want to add some more kosher salt and black pepper to season the sauce.

season sauce with kosher salt

and black pepper

Now give it all a good stir so all those flavors will marry together. When your chicken is "done," turn the sauce down on the lowest setting to keep it all warm until the pasta is cooked, which should be any minute now. :) At this point, if still waiting for the pasta, you can remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and after resting just a couple of minutes, cut the chicken into slices on the bias.

Divide the pasta among individual bowls, and top each with half of a chicken breast, sliced into pieces, and equal portions of the tomato basil sauce. Top with more fresh basil and freshly grated Parmigiana reggiano cheese.

... and one of the BEST things is...this makes FABULOUS left overs to take to work the next day!

Love this recipe and want another great option? My best friend uses this shrimp in this recipe sometimes... Totally awesome!!! We decided this would be amazing as a dinner party option --

Tomato Basil Shrimp over Grits!
For this option, you only want to cook the shrimp only at the end for about 3 - 4 minutes after the sauce has reduced. She seasons the shrimp with salt, pepper, and some seafood seasoning. These shrimp are tails only, and peeled before adding to the sauce. She uses 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp. For this, consider adding in some additional white and red pepper.

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Season chicken breasts with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Add
a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to your skillet.
This may seem like quite a bit, but it will form the base for the sauce. While
waiting for the oil to heat up, go ahead and get your water going for
the pasta. When
the oil is HOT, add the chicken breasts. After
about 4-5 minutes, the chicken breasts should be ready to turn. By the
way, when did chicken breasts get SO HUGE?! You'll want to cook them
on the second side another 4-5 minutes,or until the juices run clear
when you pierce them with a small sharp knife. If you pounded yours out
thinner, they will cook faster than this.

After
the second side has been cooking for about 4 minutes, go ahead and add
in the fresh tomatoes that you have chopped up. Next, add the fresh
basil that you have chopped into ribbons, the cold butter, the minced
garlic, and you will probably want to add some more kosher salt and
black pepper to season the sauce. Now
give it all a good stir so all those flavors will marry together.

When your chicken is "done," turn the sauce down on the lowest setting
to keep it all warm until the pasta is cooked, which should be any
minute now. At this point, if still waiting for the pasta, you can
remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and after resting just a
couple of minutes, cut the chicken into slices on the bias. Divide
the pasta among individual bowls, and top each with half of a chicken
breast, sliced into pieces, and equal portions of the tomato basil
sauce. Top with more fresh basil and freshly grated Parmigiana reggiano
cheese.

I had two ginormous tomatoes that I found at a farmer's market. Not sure what kind they were (not Romas)... More like the big ones you slice for a hamburger. If you use Romas, it may take several. I used the big ones 1. because I had them, and 2. I knew they would produce a lot of "juice." It is not so important that it is exactly two cups. That was just the yield of what I had on hand. If you want more or less "sauce," just adjust. :)

Hi. Ummm.. I just read the description, and I'm sorry, but I'm not seeing "garlic wine sauce," although it sounds yummy. I did not use any wine in the recipe. That said, if you DO wish to use it, I would choose a crisp white wine and use it to deglaze my pan, right before adding the tomatoes.

You've GOT to let me know which way you go with this and how it ends up. (and please let me know where the galic wine sauce is from)

this recipe sounds delicious, and I will definitely try it. But pan frying with EVOO?!? do not do this!! the smoke point is so low for EVOO. it is an oil that is meant to be consumed raw, not to cook with. It will start to burn and oxidize if heated above around 200F in addition to the formation of acrylamide, a known carcinogen. This does not make for happy myocardiocites. :(a better alternative would be frying with coconut or another animal fat, because they are less likely to oxidize with high temperatures. then once the chicken is almost finished drop the temperature or take it off the burner altogether and add the butter and EVOO last.

Erin - I have read 5 articles on this, and spoken with two biochemists about your concerns. The verdict seems to be.... Unless you are "deep frying," or repeatedly using the oil, or cooking it beyond the smoke point, EVOO is fine for your basic cooking needs, and has been used for centuries to do so. Sources say that EVOO can increase the health benefits of stir-frying. The United States Food and Drug Administration reports that it may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering LDL levels, since it is high in monounsaturated fat, but low in saturated and polyunsaturated fat. Animal fats, on the other hand, are high in saturated fat; and interestingly, only two vegetable fats are saturated, palm oil and coconut oil.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of saturated fats you eat to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories, since they are a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Diets high in saturated fatty acids increase the production of acetate fragments in the body which, in turn, leads to an increase in the production of cholesterol, and many health problems such as obesity, heart diseases, and cancers of the breast and colon.

Bottom line. Sources report that: "You may want to stick with other types of vegetable oil, such as canola, or peanut oil for deep-frying. But feel free to use olive oil whenever you’re preparing your favorite stir-fry dishes."

It would seem that there are benefits and drawbacks each way you go. So let me offer an alternative to either one. For persons concerned about the issues outlined above, the chicken can be cooked in broth or even grilled to the point of completion and finished as you desire. But let me also take a moment to point out that the chicken is only cooked until brown in the oil before the addition of the tomatoes, which significantly lowers the temperature of the oil. You will notice that it is definitely NOT smoking in the photos.

Thanks again for your input. I'm sure other readers will find it thought provoking. By the way, the correct spelling is myocardiocytes.

My husband and I made this last week and LOVED it! My parents are coming to visit this week and we'll be making it for them to try, along with a homemade artisan bread and pesto sauce. Thanks so much for posting!! I'm going to be subscribing to enjoy even more of your recipes!

InaMae - Thank you so much for that lovely comment! I hope your folks enjoy the recipes... maybe they will subscribe, too! :)I appreciate you subscribing to my blog, and for letting me know about the success of the recipe.

I'm excited to make this tonight! I'm not a cook, so the measurements are harder to eyeball with an inexperienced eye. Can you please give me an idea of how many cloves of garlic and how many leaves/handfuls of basil? Much appreciated!

Thanks for making a blog for the everyday person with easy to follow steps and pictures! It's motivating me to cook more, which is a lot healthier than ordering in.

So glad I've got you in the kitchen!! :)In the ingredient list at the top, I have the measurements listed - 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (a couple of cloves, depending on their size), 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (about one handful)... plus more to garnish with at the end. You'll notice that the amounts are also listed under the photos.

Hope the recipe comes out great for you! Drop me a line and let me know what you think. Julie

Yes, I saw the amounts in the ingredient list and under the photos; I was looking for the the pre-cut amounts (which you've shared in parentheses) to help with shopping and to avoid chopping too much and wasting food. Thanks so much for the quick and thorough reply!

I just made this dish for my husband and I, and it was a huge hit! My husband could not stop talking about how satisfying it was, and how "gourmet" it was as well. It was so flavorful, yet SO easy to prepare! Thanks for sharing! This will be one of our regular menu items from now on!

MaKenna -You absolutely just made my night! Thanks so much for letting me know that the recipe was a success! I hope that you will sign up as a Subscriber so that you can be part of the MenuMusings community... and by all means, please share the blog with your friends!

This was very tasty! I made it for lunch today, and plan on taking the leftovers with me to work tomorrow. It was so quick and simple! I didn't have olive oil or basil, so I used rice oil and spinach instead (I know that defeats the purpose of it being tomato BASIL chicken, but I really didn't feel like going out :/) I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder before cooking it, and topped off the entire dish with grated parmesan! Yum! I look forward to more quick, delicious recipes from you!

Reno -Your post made me giggle.... but that is EXACTLY what I think cooking should be. - taking something and making it your own! Kudos!!Please come back any time to the blog to browse for more recipes.Julie

I made this last night but I had to guess on the ingredients because the link I found on Pinterest did NOT lead me to your site, I had to Google you to find it. My shot in the dark was still pretty yummy but I look forward to trying it again with your instructions.

Hi there! It's really hard to answer that without more facts about the four people? All grown ups? Teens? Kids? Other side dishes?

The chicken breasts I used were HUGE, so each one of them was enough for two people, if there was a salad or something. So as a generalization, not knowing the answers to any of the above questions.... you could use the amount of breasts or breast tenderloins that your family would normally eat, and then maybe add a little more tomatoes and seasoning, etc. The amount of pasta is always easily variable. For all four adults, I would double it.

But it is excellent leftover (as most Italian food is).... so go for it, makes lots, and enjoy! Gosh, I hope that helps. You really know your family the best. Please let me know how it comes out. So far, this recipe has had really great reviews. I appreciate you trying it out. :)

My Mom forwarded this recipe to me after she mentioned how easy and yummy it was. She was absolutely right! My boyfriend and I cooked it for dinner this evening and loved it!!! Very good and not heavy. We are definitely holding on to it to make again in the future. Thank you so much!

I am soooo excited to make this for dinner tonight!! I'm all about quick, easy, and delicious food!! :) We eat a lot of chicken around here and I'm excited for a new take on an old favorite (it's a lot like bruschetta chicken :)). I'll let you know the response from my 3 and 5 year olds! :)

Looks delicious! Wish I would have seen this about 4 hours ago. Had chicken and caprese salad for dinner and I thought it was good but needed a little bit more (why didn't I think of pasta?!?!). Glad I found the original post. Nothing irritates me more than fake Pinterest posts.

This will be on our dinner table tonight and I can't wait! I, too, "repinned" the bogus recipe on Pinterest and had to find you by google. I have deleted the fake pin, and "pinned" again directly from your site now...hopefully it will be easier for more people to find you in the future!

I got this off of Pinterest today and made it for dinner tonight. I added zucchini and a few favorite spices. It was wonderful and very fresh and light. I used olive oil to cook the chicken and on the pasta and that flavor added to the dish as well. Yummy! It will be a summer favorite from now on!

Found this on pintest, and very excited to make this tonight. Glancing through your recipes I am so excited to try some of your Louisiana dishes as we were stationed there for 2 years and miss the food!

Shleey - EXCELLENT! SO happy to hear that. You are exactly the type of "cook" I am TRYING to reach... people who don't necessarily have the skills or the confidence in the kitchen. That is precisely why I provide the step-by-step - to give you the confidence to try the dishes. I hope that you will come back again, to the blog, and try more recipes! I am looking forward to more reports from you. :)

Just made this for my brother and I for dinner and OMG IT WAS AMAZING! I thought I was going to mess up and have it turn out awful(usually when I follow recipes it turns out this way) but it didn't! HURRAY! Your instructions were so easy to follow! My brother and I LOVED this pasta! Definitely will be making it again. Thank you for the lovely recipe!

I saw this on Pinterest. I thought, "that's too easy, it won't taste like much." But I tried it, because I pruned my basil plants and had to use up the leaves or lose them. (Basil is the only thing that grows in my garden. The rest is just chipmunk feed, apparently.) I cheated on the tomatoes, because I didn't have fresh, but I did use a higher-quality canned tomato (diced). I didn't cheat on the butter or the parmesan and I didn't skimp on the salt and pepper.

It never--I mean ever-- fails that if I make one serving per family member, three of them will want a second helping, and/or there will be at least one 19 year old boy visitor. In this case, four of the five family members wanted seconds, and I wouldn't have turned down a second helping as well.

So, three of them just returned from a stress-camp, and I am making it again for dinner tonight, so I expect to be The Hero. Thanks for an excellent recipe, so delicious, so simple, so loved by my family.

Made this dish for dinner tonight! It was amazing, I did work my own magic in some areas. I added a cup of zesty itialian dressing, italian seasoning and dry basil to my marinating chicken. I also added green peppers and onions. Thanks so much for sharing!

Hmmmm..... "just as good" is perhaps a stretch. I think the flavor profile would be the same, obviously; but fresh herbs do sort of exist in a world apart from dried. I do often add dried basil to my chicken breasts when I make it, as fresh herbs lose their pungency during the cooking process (that's why folks always add more to finish the dish at the end). If you do, obviously you will NOT need 1/2 cup as you would with the fresh. Just season the chicken really well, then add your dried liberally over the tomatoes. Taste and go from there. Good luck!!! :)

Found this recipe on pinterest and tried it for dinner tonight. It was delicious! My kids loved it and asked me to make it again. I'll have to double the recipe. This was enough to feed my family of four but everyone was asking for seconds lol.

Wow! So so good! I actually hate to admit this but I was in the middle of making it and realized I had forgotten the best part-the fresh basil. I quickly grabbed some pesto that I had and threw some in the dish and wow. It was so good! My tomato basil turned into tomato pesto. I look forward to having the basil next time but the pesto was a nice substitute! Thanks for sharing!

I have an abundance of basil growing in the garden and plenty of tomatoes.... Was searching for a good recipe to use both. I made this tonight for my family (including my in-laws who are trying to diet). Everyone LOVED it!!! Such simple/healthy ingredients but full of fresh flavor and very satisfying! Thank you for an amazing meal that we'll definitely make again soon!

The hubby referred to this as a science experiment when I told him what I was making. After 2 bites he asked me to make it again! I added a garlic and herb seasoning to the salt and fresh pepper on the chicken breast and DH used feta instead of parm, and that was a wonderful addition. He even called dibs on the leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Looking forward to mor recipes!

I found this recipe on pinterest a while back and of course I had to repin it! I'm only 16, gluten and corn free, and I love cooking! So when I found this, I knew it would be a perfect dish to make. I made it tonight for my family and I doubled the recipe. (When you have 3 hungry teens in the family, you need a lot of food) The only tomatoes I used were the small cherry tomatoes. Those worked great! (altough they didn't produce a lottt of juice in the end) And I didn't have any noodles, so I just put the chicken over brown rice. It was still AMAZING! Thank you so much for this great recipe that I will totally be using over and over!!

PS this recipe got a great review from everyone in my family ;) Couldn't thank you more! :)

I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicioius!! My whole family loved it. I have four children aged 14 years to 10 mos and they all enjoyed it. I used pre sliced thin chicken breasts. Can't wait to try some more of your recipes. I also really appreciate that it truly only took 30 minutes start to finish. So often I see 30 min or less recipes and they take an hour.Laura B

I made this tonight and it was delicious!! I used tomatoes from my mother in law's garden and fresh basil picked off my plant. I doubled it for my family of five and had lots of leftovers. I kind of planned it that way! :) This is a definite "make again" and will be great for those super busy dance and soccer nights! It is so light and refreshing. Tastes like something you would get at Macaroni Grill but is super easy and quick!

I've made this twice now and it is so very tasty and easy too! You can adjust the recipe to accommodate any size dinner party. The second time around, I roasted the tomatoes under the broiler for about 10 minutes and then added them to the saute pan. But I think it is just personal preference. Thank you!

This recipe was SO simple, SO easy and SO delicious! I could not stop oohing and ahhing the whole time I was eating this and my family clapped at the end of the meal! So so flavorful! Next time I will pound the chicken a bit; I overcooked the breasts bc they were so thick. I served the breasts over spaghetti noodles and a side of sautéed spinach and garlic. My taste buds were singing!! Thank you for such a fabulously simple and elegant meal!!

Thank the Good Lord for Pinterest and for you and this heaven-sent chicken. I have made it a few times now and I love it and savor it and make "mmmm" sounds with each bite. Thank you for this simple yet delicious recipe.

I made this last night and it was delicious! I might think about adding a few more spices but overall it was great. I live alone and had enough for lunch today. I did use sea salt and regular pepper along with store bought parm (in a bag) and it still worked out. Took about a half hour in total. Perfect dish. Thank you!

Wow, Kim! What a thoughtful friend you are!!! Here's what I would do. I think optimally, you could keep the pasta separate from the sauce/chicken. For the pasta, either just give her the dried pasta still in it's bag (I mean, its pasta... I'm sure she can manage that).... or else boil the pasta to the al dente stage, drain and rinse thoroughly with cool water and add just a touch of olive oil to toss. Store that separately. She can heat up a pot of water, and just throw the pasta in to warm it up again. This is how the restaurants do it.For the rest, go ahead and make the sauce and chicken. Store separate from the pasta in a container. I think I would leave the breasts whole so they will retain their juices a bit more. You may consider cooking them ONLY until they are just done, because when she heats them, you don't want them all dried out. She can heat this in a small saucepan or skillet until just warmed, or warm only a portion in the microwave.I would also give her a separate little "garnish" packet with extra basil ribbons and grated parm.. because these totally dress up the dish and will make it "fresh" again!You go girl... you get the friend of the day award!!! Please let me know how it comes out for her!Julie

I made this last night with the last of my tomatoes from the garden & it was EXCELLENT! My son (9 yrs.) had a friend over for dinner & his mom sent a text saying, "He cannot stop talking about your chicken!" Instead of pasta, I roasted spaghetti squash & served over that for a low-carb version. This is an easy & delish meal!! Thank YOU!!

I thought I'd try this recipe because it has all the things I look for: looks easy, quick, delicious and uses a few simple ingredients. This recipe is an absolute winner! Made it tonight (a week night) and am already looking forward to making it again. And that says a lot from someone who only cooks because she has to :) Thanks for a super awesome recipe that's easy but tastes like a million bucks.

Can't wait to try this! I love all the fresh ingredients. I saw the comment about cooking w/EVOO. I have been cooking w/regular olive oil instead for awhile now. Not sure if that makes a difference health wise. I will be using organic chicken breasts. If your chicken breasts are huge it is because they have all kinds of steroids and antibiotics in them. With that said I am looking forward to having this for dinner soon!

I made this tonight...amazing!! A friend of mine found it on pinterest and was telling me about it. It was so delicious and easy to make. I made a quick white sauce to go with it, mixed that in and mixed it all with the pasta....amazing! We all had 3rds tonight!

Hi ! , I came across your blog via pinterest , prefer simple and delicious recipes myself and this one is a winner. I am a food blogger myself , would really appreciate if you would visit my space too and check out the recipes under the head "international " along with any others of your choice. http://anjalisfoodkaleidoscope.blogspot.in/

Absolutely amazing. My mum is a very particular eater and I tend to have to make recipes quite bland for her, but this recipe was incredible and is something that I'll be making again. I used salted butter so I didn't need to ass any salt to the sauce just an extra dash of pepper. Glorious addition to my recipe book.

This was a fabulous recipe! Only about half my pinterest "experiments" turn into something edible that I would make again, and this is definatley one of them. I'm just curious about the olive oil measurements you give: You call for two tablespoons in the recipe, but the picture clearly shows what looks like A LOT more ;). Just wondering if you could clarify again how much olive oil you actually use or need to make this recipe a success, thanks!

I did only use a couple of tablespoons. But the pan I used was quite small (smaller than I would have liked, in hindsight), so it appears as more. Also, it doesn't need to be exact for the recipe to work. The size of your chicken breasts may dictate the amount you personally need.Thanks for trying out my recipe!

This was an amazing recipe and so *fast*! Ate this last night and it's already on the shopping list to make for next week. :)

Just my two cents, adding the italian herbs with the salt and pepper when searing the chicken was a great idea. I also felt adventurous and added roasted red peppers (had a leftover jar lying around) in at the end so they didn't get too mushy for a little extra oomph. Also, if you're not worried about it being a little less healthy, I scooped in a couple of tablespoons of sour cream to make it more of a tomato-cream sauce. Turned out fantastic! Thanks so much!

I just made this...we loved it! It was way more "fancy" than anything I've cooked before (by fancy I mean I've never used Basil or made my own sauce). It was so easy and filling, yet very light. This will be made often in my house!

Julie, this is fabulous!! All of my children gobbled this up (an accomplishment at our house) and I am about to make it a second time in about 10days!! Thanks for the easy directions...from a cooking challenged Mom :)

Hi. The recipe doesn't really call for pasta. I just chose to serve it over pasta. It is enough chicken and sauce to serve 4. So if you want to serve it over pasta, enough for 4 people. That will depend on the 4 people you are serving (children? adults? teens?). Some people choose to eat it alone to avoid the carbs. Some people have it over spaghetti squash to avoid gluten. It's up to you! :)

Hi Julie! Just finished eating this for dinner! So light yet so flavorful! My nine year old grandson was watching while I chopped everything. He said no way he was eating that! ( he did not like the smell of the basil, and no cooked tomatoes either!) Two bites into it and it's "Grandma, I don't like this, I LOVE it! We will be having this again soon! Thank you so much! P.S. There were NO leftovers!!!

I made this dish with a hint of chanpaigne, awesome♡I also noticed the chicken breasts have become HUGE too! Its because they are GMO with antibiotics and hormones. To avoid harmful eats I buy only organic. In a pinch, hormone-antibiotic free will do.

This was ah-mazing!!! I halved this and admittedly thought that a single chicken breast wouldn't be enough to satisfy two HUNGRY adults, but it was and I was wrong (especially if serving over pasta). This is pretty darn spot on as is, but as Julie suggested, I added a bit of Italian seasoning to taste (perfect!). A definite must try! :)

Feel free to either measure out your olive oil or just eyeball it. Sometimes my chicken breasts are bigger than other times, as are my tomatoes... It's a very loose recipe. I happened to be using a fairly small pan on the day I took the photo, so it does sort of look like a lot in the picture.Sorry if it looks misleading.

Hi! This recipe sounds delicious, and I think I'll make it for my roommates later! I also have some asparagus in the fridge, do you think some of that would go well in this dish? I'm new to cooking, and I'm still not sure how some things work together :) Thanks so much!

Hi Mary...Well that's a new one! I do think asparagus would be an elegant pairing, but it may also overpower the delicate sauce. Perhaps I would cut the asparagus on the bias, and roast them first with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Then you spread roasted pieces over the top of the dish.Let me know how that works out for you!! :)

Maybe I'm overlooking someone, but I honestly don't remember a reader ever commenting about ever trying this with canned tomatoes. The real beauty of the dish is that it is all fresh. That said.... I DO get that there are some times, when you just NEED to use what you have on hand. And I'd betcha anything there are other readers who have wondered the same thing. If you give it a try, will you please give me a shout and let me know how it goes so I can pass it along to the rest of the readers?

The juice. Hmmmmmm...... I'd be tempted to keep "some" but not all. Geez, that was about as vague as can be, huh?! :/

Best of luck. Got my fingers crossed for ya. I'll be waiting to see how it comes out! Julie

One of my new yr resoultion is to cook more meals and eat out less. This dish fits the bill! It's so good and ez! I added dried basil on the chicken breast as you suggested, a pinch of sugar, and chopped red chillies! Then I served it w/ steamed rice and stir-fried broccoli seasoned w/ salt n pepper. Perfect! Thank you so much!

The amount of oil in this recipe and the addition of butter really scares me. I frankly don't think that much is necessary for actually cooking the chicken. It's for taste and texture. I'd go a healthier route. I usually put a teaspoon of olive oil in the pan, or coat the chicken in the oil with my hands before I put it in to fry. If not cooked for too long the chicken shouldn't dry out. It has enough of it's own juices already. The butter is not needed in my opinion.

The amount of olive oil used in the recipe is not intended solely for the purpose of cooking the chicken, but for creating the sauce when combined with the juices of the tomatoes and basil. The butter gives the sauce a silkier mouthfeel. But as I have stated in my cookbook and many times throughout the years of blogging, the advantage of cooking at home is that you are completely free to change recipes at your discretion, they are only there as guides. If there is something a user wishes to omit or change, they are more than welcome to do so. Thank you for stopping by and offering your opinion.

This was sOOOO god. I can't believe it. I'm no gourmet chef, but ... I feel like I really learned something cooking this. I always hear on master chef that something tastes fresh, well this tasted very fresh to me. And it really made a nice sauce. So good. Thank you!!

Saw this on pinterest and tried it last night. My husband liked it enough so that it's going in my permanent collection. The only thing I will do different is add more tomatoes. We love fresh tomatoes so I'll go a little heavy with them next time. Thanks for adding a new dinner dish to my collection!

About Me

I am a prototypical modern American mom. I am retired professor of Anatomy & Physiology at a private Christian University, and mother to four beautiful children (3 boys and 1 girl). I am also a food blogger, cookbook author, and have owned my own cafe. My background is a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience with emphasis on antioxidant research. My postdoctoral training was in human obesity and caloric restriction.

I grew up in South Louisiana where the best food in the world is routinely brought from the garden and the water, and put on the table. Everyone in my family of origin is a wonderful cook, so I guess it is just natural that I show my love to my family through food.

I love cooking and eating... and teaching my children the art and techniques of being in the kitchen. My mother taught me that there is always SOME part of the cooking process that even small children can help with...so my kids are indeed very familiar with the kitchen, the kitchen tools, use of homegrown herbs, etc.